Metallurgical furnace.



No. 732,267. PATENTED JUNE so, 1903.

M. PuBOSS. I METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

no. 732,267. Patented June e0, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

MARTIN PRIOR BOSS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HYDRO-CARBON-SMELTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIR- GINIA.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,267, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed March 26, 1902. Serial No. 100.018. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern: of two chambers5, a reducing-chamber,

Be it known that I, MARTIN PRIOR BOSS, a and 6 an oxidizing-chamber. The reducingcitizen of the United. States, residing at San chamber is provided with a crown 7 and a Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of conical hearth 8. The oxidizing-chamber is 55 California, have invented certain new and provided with a crown 9 and a horizontal useful Improvements in Metallurgical Furhearth 10, which forms a basin. At the fornaces, of which the following is a specificaward end of the oxidizing-chamber is located tion. a chimney-flue ll. The hearthS of the re- My invention relates to a furnace adapted ducing-chamber and hearth 10 of the oxidiz- 60 10 within a single structure to reduce a metal ing-chamber are supported upon arches 12, from its calcined ore, to oxidize the metal, and which serve'to form a cave under the hearths. otherwise act upon it to free it from its ac- Situated over the reducing-chamber is a companying impurities. trackway 13, on which is mounted a hopper- My invention consists in the construction car 14:, by which calcined ore is brought to the 65 I5 and arrangement of the chambers in which reducing-chamber and discharged into the rethe metallurgical operations are conducted ducing-chamber through the opening 15 in the also, to the means employed for producing top of the chamber. the required reducing and oxidizing atmos- The oxidizing-chamber is provided with a pheres in said chambers; also, to the means bed 16, which may be made of ore such as is 70 2o employed for introducing air-currents below under treatment, of matte of partially-refined the level of the molten metal in the oxidizing ore,or pig metal,and with these materials may chamber; also, to the employment in the oxibe mixed any fluxing material such, for indizing-chamber and in connection with introstance, as dolomite. duced currents of a bed or hearth formed of a Situated in the top of the reducing-cham- 75 material or materials which will coact with her and oxidizing=chamber are a series of the metal under treatment; also,to the general hydrocarboil-burners 17, by means of which a construction of the furnace. hydrocarbon gas mixed with air may be de- The objects of my invention are, primarily, livered into the furnace through the pipes 18 to decrease the cost of reducing a metal from and 19, which communicate with the sources 20 its ore by effecting all of the metallurgical opof supply. The pipes 18, which are the bla sterations subsequent to calcination in a single mains, also communicate with air-twyers 20, structure, thereby saving in the cost of hanwhich project, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, dling, preventing loss of heat, &c.', and, secfrom the sides of the furnace into the bed of ondarily, through the construction of the oxithe furnace, so that the air-blast is discharged 85 3 5 dizing-chamber and by reason of its chemunder the molten metal on the hearth or bed.

ically active bed and the employment of air- In order to protect these twyers against clogblasts to produce a very rapid and effective ging by a sudden chill of the metal, I carry oxidation of the metal under treatment in the the branches 21 from the hydrocarbon feed oxidizing-chamber. pipe into them. These. branches are not in- 90 40 The accompanying drawings will serve to tended in the ordinary operation of the furillustra e my invention and in which similar nace to be lighted, but may be lighted to keep numerals indicate like parts. the twyers clear when required or to heat the Figure 1 is .a longitudinal section of the furair passing in through the twyers. nace. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top of the 22 is a slag-dam in the oxidizing-chamber; 5 reducing-chamber of the furnace and hori- -23,'slagdoor; 24:, doors through which the zontal section through the oxidizing-chamber. fluid metal may be drawn from the chamber. Fig. 3 is a vertical .section of the oxidizing- The operation of my device is as follows: chamber on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is The calcined ore is discharged intothe rea vertical section through the reducing-chamducing-chamber from the hopper-car 14 and Ice her 011 the line Y Y of Fig. 1. forms a mound in the chamber, as indicated My improved furnace consists, essentially, in the dotted line, Fig. 1. As the ore is melted under the action of the hydrocarbonburners and air-blast, as well as by the decomposition of the combustible materials in the ore, the slag and metal flow from the hearth S of the reducing-chamber into the oxidizing-chamber 6. Here the slag is removed through the slag-door 23, the metal flowing under the slag-dam 22. As the metal moves forward in the oxidizing-chamber it isrefined and in the process of refiningmakes a continuous up-and-down movement. In order to aid the refining and also to keep the metal in motion, so as to more effectually remove oxidizable materials from it, it is subjected to a continuous air -blast from the twyers 20. Preferably this air-blast should be heated, although good results may be obtained without heating it.

It will be observed. from the drawings that the hydrocarbon-burners are so disposed that the flames delivered from them will be freely developed within the furnace without coming in contact with the material in the furnace. I prefer this system of heating, as I find that better results maybe obtained from radiated heat than from heat due to the impact of the flame. I, however, do not wish to limit myself to the employment of burners so situated and used, as other heating means maybe substituted. Neither do I wish to limit myself to the employment of a conical hearth in the reducing-chamber, although I prefer to use such a hearth, as movement of the material in the chamber toward the oxidizing-chamber is facilitated by such construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A metallurgical furnace, comprising a chamber, means for creating a reducing atmosphere in said chamber, a second chamber connected to the first-named chamber, a supplemental bed located upon the hearth of said chamber, means for creating an oxidizing atmosphere in said chamber, and means for delivering an air-blast above the hearth of said oxidizing-chamber and below the normal level of the melted metal discharged into said chamber.

2. A metallurgical furnace comprising a chamber, means for creating a reducing atmosphere in said chamber, a second chamber connected to the first-named chamber, means for creating an oxidizing atmosphere in said chamber, a supplemental body of material located upon the hearth of the second-named chamber composed of materials which will coact with the substance under treatment, and means for delivering an air-blast into said body of material.

3. A metallurgical furnace comprising a chamber provided with a conical hearth, means for creating areducing atmosphere in said chamber, a second chamber having its hearth shaped to form a basin, means for creating an oxidizing atmosphere in said chamber, and an exit-flue leading from the oxidizing-chamber.

a. A metallurgical furnace comprising a chamber, means situated in the top of said chamber for introducin gw gas and air, whereby areducing atmosphere maybe created, a second chamber, connected to the first-named chamber, means situated in the top of said chamber for introducing gas and air, whereby an oxidizing atmosphere may be created, and meansfor introducing an air-blast into the bottom of the oxidizing-chamber.

5. In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber, means for creating an oxidizing atmosphere in said chamber, asupplemental body of material located upon the hearth of such chamber which will coact with the substance under treatment, and means for introducing an air-blast into such body of material.

6. In a metallurgical furnace, an oxidizingchamber, a supplemental body of material which will coact with the substance under treatment situated on thehearth of said chamber, means for creating a free development of flame in the upper portion of said chamber whereby an oxidizing atmosphere is created, and said flame not brought in contact with the material under treatment; and means for introducing air-currents into the body of material on the hearth of the chamber.

7 In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber provided with means for creating an oxidizing atmosphere, said means consisting of hydrocarbon-gas and air burners, adapted to discharge their flames in a downward direction from each side of the top of the chamber whereby free development of flame is permitted, but not brought in contact with the material under treatment; and air-twyers adapted to discharge air-currents laterally into said chamber a short distance above the hearth of said chamber and below what would be the normal horizontal level of the material under treatment in the chamber.

8. In a metallurgical furnace, the combination with a chamber and its hearth, of a supplemental body of material located on said hearth which will coact with the substance under treatment, and means for discharging air-currents into said body of material.

9. In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber having a conical bed and an arched top, a second chamber connected at one end to the first-named chamber and having a horizontal hearth and connected at its opposite end to an exit-flue.

10. In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber having a conical hearth and an arched top, a second chamber connected to the first-named chamber at one end and having a horizontal hearth situated below the plane of the hearth of the first-named chamber and connected at its opposite end to an exit-flue.

11. In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber having a conical hearth and an arched top with an opening therein through which the material to be' treated may be fed into the furnace, means for creating a reducing atmosphere in said chamber, a second chamber ICC connected to the first-named chamber at one end and having its hearth in a lower horizontal plane than the hearth of the first-named chamber and connected at its opposite end to an exit-flue.

12. In a metallurgical furnace, a chamber having a conical hearth, an air-cave under said hearth, a crown located at a considerable distance above the hearth, means for creating a reducing atmosphere in said chamber, a second chamber connected at one end to the first-named chamber and provided with a horizontal hearth located at a lower plane than the hearth of the first-named chamber and provided with a crown whose distance above the hearth is less than the distance above the hearth of the crown of the firstizing atmosphere in said chamber, and means for introducing air into said bed and below the material under treatment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I MARTIN PRIOR BOSS.

Witnesses:

J. E. PEARSON, O. E. STEOHER. 

